I make a point of taking a few minutes to look around for the stuff whenever I go to a new supermarket / farmers market / ete etc and I haven't been able to find a source here. At the same time, I'm not wanting to import anything from the States, because it defeats the purpose of having a cheap supply of a goood salt.

@Neil : at the suggestion of one of the users who had flagged it for moderations ... and then immediately wondered why ... and now even more so ... yeah, I probably shouldn't have caved into the request.
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JoeAug 27 '10 at 20:17

7 Answers
7

You could try Maldon Sea Salt, or similar supermarket sea salts. While not identical to kosher salt, they can be used in a similar way. Maldon is also is much cheaper in the UK than it is in the US (where it's an import).

I think this answer really gets to the main point. Most US recipes that ask for Kosher salt don’t need many of its specific qualities: they just need a decent-quality large-grain salt, and for most of the 20th century in most of the US, Kosher salt was the only option for this, so it became the term recipes use. So in the UK, a good sea salt will likely be the most appropriate option.
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PLLFeb 19 '11 at 5:17

1

I think it's worth pointing out that it's the 'Maldon Sea Salt Flakes', specifically the 'flakes', that are the same as kosher salt... traditionally in the UK we know the term 'sea salt' more as rock salt that you'd see in salt grinders, whereas the natural characteristic pyramid shapes of flaked sea salt is the same as what Americans call 'kosher salt'.
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dsampleOct 11 '12 at 22:20

Anyhow just call up the butcher or a kosher grocer and ask where you get "kashering salt", not "kosher salt", it's the same thing used to make meat kosher after ritual slaughtering as it draws out the blood. Its totally pure. It also draws out the gunk from our noses which is why it's so good. And you can certainly get it in London in Hendon or Golder's Green.

The OP is asking where to find such things, I think. This question is regional, but seeing the kind of store where MauriceL end up finding kosher salt at might be instructive to city dwellers. (Here in the northeast US, we get it in the supermarket.)
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Neil FeinAug 15 '10 at 0:43

Kosher salt (or koshering salt) is a more American-known name for what we in Britain call flaked sea salt. It's not jewish or anything like that, it's just the kind of salt they use in the koshering process to draw the blood out of the animal. The difference with table salt (as explained by Alton Brown) is that sea salt is more naturally grown (like a wheat crop), and harvested rather than manufactured, and forms hollow pyramid shapes. These don't need any added ingredients (eg. desiccants) to stop them clumping, and you often don't need to use as much salt as you would do with table salt.

After watching practically all of the Alton Brown cooking show 'Good Eats', I've invested in a salt cellar/pinch pot similar to the one he uses and some Maldon Sea Salt Flakes. I bought a small box to begin with to make sure it was the same as the Diamond Crystal salt, and it is, so I've now bought a bigger box.

You'll find Maldon Sea Salt Flakes in the majority of british supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose all stock it), alongside the spices, usually on the lower shelves. The Maldon site also has a stockist list if you're interested.

I found diamond kosher salt in partridges once (sloane square), now I run out and I have been trying to get a closer shop where to buy it.... anyways, i checked USA pages and it is -as you said- too pricey to "import" for home use.....

Does this place carry it regularly, or was it a time-limited sale? If it is not always available there, then this is not an answer.
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rumtscho♦Oct 5 '12 at 16:40

This does not provide an answer to the question. To critique or request clarification from an author, leave a comment below their post - you can always comment on your own posts, and once you have sufficient reputation you will be able to comment on any post.
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KatieKOct 5 '12 at 16:50

Melbury and Appleton sell it on line. They have a minimum order level of £10 before VAT and postage. London customers can order on-line and collect from their warehouse which is at marlborough Road, Islington.